Cricket is becoming a global sport with every country having its own franchise league. The USA Cricket has sanctioned a professional T20 League, Major League Cricket, which is owned by the American Cricket Enterprises. The league will have six teams representing major US cities competing for the title, with the final match on July 30 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.
The Texas Super Kings, owned by the Chennai Super Kings, will play their home games at the same stadium. Faf du Plessis will captain the team with Stephen Fleming as their head coach. Before their opening game against the Los Angeles Knight Riders on July 13, let’s take a look at their squad’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
STRENGTHS:
Texas Super Kings have a solid batting unit led by Faf du Plessis and Devon Conway. David Miller, Milind Kumar, and Saiteja Mukkamalla can score big once they get going. du Plessis’ leadership skills make him one of the most successful leaders of South Africa. It will be the biggest strength of the Super Kings in MLC 2023.
WEAKNESS:
The Super Kings missed out on acquiring a quality spinner in the auctions. Although they bought Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand spinner hasn’t had much game time recently, and it remains to be seen how he will perform in the competition. Unfortunately, the lack of a quality spinner may pose a threat to their success in the long run. Spinners play a crucial role in T20 cricket, and without a quality one, the Super Kings may struggle to contain the opposition’s batsmen. Consequently, it is imperative for them to find a way to make up for their lack of a quality spinner and ensure they have a well-rounded squad to compete in the tournament.
OPPORTUNITY:
The MLC will be an excellent platform for players from the United States to exhibit their skills. Saiteja Mukkamalla, who has represented the USA in 17 ODIs, is one such player. His strokeplay has impressed many, and he has a century and a fifty to his name. Mukkamalla will be keen to step up for the Texas Kings in the inaugural edition of the MLC.
THREAT :
The Texas Super Kings’ spin department is currently their only concern ahead of Major League Cricket 2023. Mitchell Santner and inexperienced Zia Shahzad will have to bear the brunt of the responsibility. Opposing teams can target the spinners and put the Texas Super Kings under pressure during the middle overs.
Texas Super Kings Squad for MLC 2023
Faf du Plessis (c), Saiteja Mukkamalla, David Miller, Milind Kumar, Sami Aslam, Cody Chetty, Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, Daniel Sams, Calvin Savage, Devon Conway, Lahiru Milantha, Cameron Stevenson, Rusty Theron, Gerald Coetzee, Zia Shahzad
